Louisville City Wire

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg today joined staff from the city’s Department of Economic Development and the metro chamber of commerce Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI) in celebration as the organizations once again jointly received the Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development from Site Selection Magazine, the leading economic development publication in the U.S.

The award, which recognizes Top Economic Development Organizations in the country, is based on capital investment and new jobs announced. In 2022, the 15-county region reported $2.5 billion in capital investment and more than 4,600 new jobs. The majority of that those investments and new jobs - $2.1 billion and 3,696 jobs – are located in Louisville-Jefferson County.

“The eyes of the world are on Louisville this week because of Derby. People come from all over to experience all that our city has to offer in terms of hospitality, bourbon, food and entertainment, and we want people to know that Louisville is open for business,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg. “Our companies are growing. Our economy is strong and getting even stronger. With billions of dollars of investment announced last year, businesses like UPS, Ford, UofL Health and Confluent Health are betting big on their future here in the Derby City. Congratulations to my Economic Development team and our partners at GLI and across the region on this fantastic award!”

The Mayor also thanked other community partners for their role in economic development in the region, including LG&E, Louisville Water, MSD and One Southern Indiana. Earlier this year, Site Selection Magazine also named Louisville named a Top 5 U.S. Metro for Economic Development.

“We are excited to be recognized multiple times by Site Selection magazine for our city and region’s tremendous growth,” said Benjamin Moore, Director of the Department of Economic Development. “While the award is for efforts in 2022, we are already seeing positive results this year; in the first four months of 2023, the Department of Economic Development has already announced projects totaling $350 million in capital investment and 944 new jobs. We are on track for another stellar year of economic development and look forward to continuing to work with our partners to fulfill companies’ needs, whether they started here or are locating new operations here.”

This is the ninth straight year that Louisville Metro Government’s Department of Economic Development has received the Mac Conway Award and the seventh year in a row that the Department and GLI have shared the award.

“We are proud to see the explosive growth and investment in our 15-county region as a location of choice for multiple industries and hubs of innovation, thanks to the dedicated efforts of GLI’s economic development team,” said Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, president and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc. “Our partnership with Louisville Metro continues to propel the region to new heights as we inform site selectors and prospective companies of the many opportunities in the Greater Louisville region.”

Among the projects that contributed to this award is the expansion of healthcare company Confluent Health’s headquarters, totaling $15.4 million in investment and 350 new jobs.

"Louisville is more than just our home, it's also where the healthcare innovation comes to flourish,” said Confluent Health’s Founder and CEO, Dr. Larry Benz, PT, DPT, OCS, MBA, MAPP, FAPTA. “Confluent Health is proud to be a part of the continued economic growth in our region and congratulates Mayor Craig Greenberg and Greater Louisville Inc. on this recognition. As we expand our physical therapy services and workplace injury prevention programs, we're committed to investing in Kentucky and building a stronger, healthier future for Kentucky and our region.”

In his proposed budget, Mayor Greenberg increased funding for the Department of Economic Development to continue its regional marketing efforts in concert with GLI and other partners. He also has proposed a $400,000 contract with GLI for talent attraction, regional economic development, branding and more. The budget must be approved by Louisville Metro Council.

“Our community is excited for the potential opportunities to come as a result of this collaborative work,” said Russ Cox, president and CEO of Norton Healthcare and Chair of GLI’s Board of Directors. “This investment shows that Jefferson County is committed to regional growth and is confident GLI is the organization to brand our region as the destination of choice for innovative, forward-thinking companies and talent.”

The honorees for Site Selection’s Mac Conway Awards for Excellence in Economic Development are determined by an index that examines 2022 corporate facility investment as tracked by Site Selection’s proprietary Conway Projects database. Scores are awarded based on six criteria: total projects, total investment associated with those projects and jobs associated with those projects. The remaining three criteria represent a per-capita calculation of those same metrics.

Louisville continues to rank as a top place to live and work and has receiving numerous accolades and recognitions, including:

• 4 U.S. metro for job growth in 2022
• 3 housing market to watch in 2023
• Recognized as a "Next 25" Tech Talent Market by CBRE for the fourth year in a row
• 11th most affordable large metro area in the nation
• Recertified as a Welcoming City by Welcoming America
• Received a perfect score on the Human Rights Commission’s Municipality Index for eight years in a row
• 1 in the Ohio River corridor for economic development
• 14th best U.S. city for new college grads

About the Department of Economic Development

Since 2014, Louisville Metro Government’s Economic Development team has competed for and won projects representing more than $10.4 billion of investment and 38,000 new jobs. As a result, the Department has been named a Top Ten Economic Development Organization eight times by Site Selection Magazine, the leading trade publication for economic development, and the city of Louisville ranked No. 1 in the Ohio River Corridor for economic development. By operating within the same organization as the city’s real estate development, land use and planning and design functions, the Department of Economic Development offers concierge service to companies looking to grow their business or to locate new operations, in addition to providing support for entrepreneurs through its small business and METCO loan programs. Learn more about the city’s economic development initiatives at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/economic-development

About Greater Louisville Inc.

Greater Louisville Inc. is the Metro Chamber of Commerce and represents 15 counties in Kentucky and Indiana. GLI’s mission is to grow businesses and the regional economy. GLI supports businesses during every stage of development and represents the collective needs of the business community by advocating for pro-growth policies and economic development investment, and deploying programming centered around attracting and developing talent and economic inclusion. GLI is the 2019 National Chamber of the Year and is one of only three percent of chambers nationally certified with 5-star accreditation status by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Learn more on social media @GLIchamber or visit www.greaterlouisville.com.

Original source can be found here.